SCI Joinery Gallery
Timbers - Sitka Spruce
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English name, Sitka Spruce. Also known as Silver Spruce and whitwood.
Remarks, The work horse of timbers in our region. British grown Sitka Spruce is not as good as native grown, it grows even faster due to the very short warm Winters, and to much rainfall. Causing the growth rings to be bigger than they should be, with even less resistance to decay of insect attack and less load bearing capabilities. Home grown is mainly used for fencing or posts. To make it a serviceable timber it needs to be kiln dried and turned into glulam timber, with all knots and weak points cut out.
Family, Pinaceae.
Genus, Picea.
Species, Picea stichensis.
Age, 700 years old.
Height, 40-70m. Exceptionally up to 100m.
Tree shape, Narrowly conical.
Leaf Type, Evergreen.
Leaves shape, Needle-like and slender to 3cm long sharp pointed bright green above with two white bands beneath 1mm thick. 4-10 life span, before shedding occurs.
Flowering, May.
Flowers colour, Male red/Female green.
Fruit, Cones hanging down 5-8cm yellow brown.
Bark, Purple flaking in large scales.5-20cm across.
Native region, West, North America.
Natural habitat, Coastal lowland. A 80km strip of land between south west Alaska to north California.
Weight, Green 740kg/m3. Air dried 480kg/m3.
Wood type, Softwood.
Timber colour, Yellow/white to red/white darkening with age.
Durability, Not durable. (1 very durable, 2 durable, 3 moderately durable, 4 slightly durable, 5 not durable).
Treatable, Difficult. (Easy, moderate easy, difficult, extremely difficult).
Moisture movement, Small.
Texture, Coarse.
Environmental, Not listed as an endangered species.
Availability, Readily available at good timber merchants.
Cost, Low.
Drying, Can dry rapidly, causing splits and knots to loosen or split. Care should be taken to minimise this.
Working qualities, Good. Works well with hand tools or machines. Clean finishes. Can be varnished, stained, painted, glued, nailed or screwed well.
To Europe, 1792 brought to Britain by the Scottish Botanist plant hunter David Douglas.
Uses, Internal carpentry and joinery.
Externally carpentry and joinery only when treated against decay and insect attack.
Paper making due to it's long wood fibres which help it bind together to make strong paper.
Instrument making e.g. pianos, harps, guitars, cellos, violins and mandolins.
Information, Is named after the City in Alaska of the same name.
Can grow up to 1.5m under ideal circumstances.
Is also known as whitewood along with Pine and Fir.
The gum of the tree has antiseptic uses.
Newly grown tips of Sitka Spruce branches are used to flavour Spruce beer and are boiled to make syrup. The leaves can be eaten raw, or used to make tea which is very high in Vitamin C, can be used to prevent scurvy.
In WWII the Mosquito was made from Sitka Spruce.
The nose cones from the Trident missiles were made from Sitka Spruce.
